COVID-19 – QUARANTINE AND ISOLATION UPDATES

Menominee, Shawano — Shawano-Menominee Counties Health Department has noted 18 confirmed cases in Shawano County and 2 confirmed cases in Menominee County. There continues to be only 1 workplace investigation in Shawano County. Some individuals have recovered and been released from quarantine and isolation. Active cases and close contacts are under isolation and quarantine as outlined by local, state, and federal recommendations. Shawano-Menominee Counties Health Department is in contact with these individuals to assure their health continues to improve and they have the support they need to remain isolated.

“As Wisconsin plans ahead for returning business to normal, we know that we will be living in a “new” normal. We cannot forget that the risk for COVID-19 will continue and we will need to keep our social responsibilities and follow quarantine and isolation guidelines if necessary to help protect the public’s health”, said Vicki Dantoin, Health Officer.

We continue to learn more about COVID-19 every day. There have been some recent updates to recommendations for release from isolation. We get a lot of questions about quarantine and isolation, so we thought we would remind everyone of the guidelines and share the new updates.

DEFINITIONSIsolation is the term used for separation of individuals who have symptoms and are sick (or test positive). Isolation is done because people who are sick may be transmitting the virus. The timeframe for isolation is selected based on evidence for how long a person may be contagious.

Quarantine is the term used for separation of individuals who are healthy and symptom free but have had close contact or exposure to someone who is sick. Quarantine is done because people who are exposed to someone who is sick could also have the virus without having symptoms. People who are not symptomatic may also be spreading the virus. The timeframe for quarantine is selected based on the time it takes for a person to develop the virus or develop symptoms since the time they are exposed.

ISOLATION
As soon as someone develops symptoms of COVID-19, they should immediately isolate and contact their health care provider to arrange a way to get tested. Once a person is tested, the person must remain in isolation until results are received. Results may take a few days to return.

With a negative result, a person should remain in isolation until there has been no fever (without medication) and symptoms have been improved (without medication) for at least 24 hours.

With a positive result, isolation continues until it has been at least 10 (this number has been updated from previous information) days since symptoms first began AND at least 3 full days since symptoms (including fever) have greatly improved (without medication). Here is a document that shows the release from isolation for individuals with a positive result.

QUARANTINE
If someone is a close contact (within 6 feet for 5-10 minutes or more) to another person who has tested positive for COVID-19, they should quarantine. The 14 day quarantine for a close contact begins AFTER the last contact with the person who tested positive for COVID-19.

Quarantine must also be done for household contacts to positive cases because of the difficulty keeping people separated within a household. A household contact should be in quarantine the entire time that the person with a positive result is in isolation. However, the 14 day quarantine begins AFTER the last contact with the person who tested positive. So, if you are unable to keep complete separation in the household, quarantine starts AFTER the person who tested positive is released from isolation (or well). This may mean the person with a positive test result may be released from isolation before the household members are released from quarantine. In other words, the minimum time of quarantine for a household member of a person who tests positive for COVID-19 (if unable to completely separate in the household) may be up to 24 days.

GUIDELINES FOR ISOLATION AND QUARANTINEWhat to do if you are in Isolation:
– Stay home – no visitors and do not go to work, school, or other public areas.
– Separate yourself from other people and animals.
– Avoid sharing personal household items.
– Wash your hands often and practice good hygiene.
– Wear a facemask if you need to be around others and cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
– Postpone non-essential appointments until you are out of isolation.
– Watch for fever and worsening symptoms. Contact your doctor if symptoms worsen.

What do to if you are in Quarantine:
– Stay home as much as possible.
– Do not go to work if you need to be in contact with other people.
– Do not use public transportation, ride share, or taxis.
– Avoid travel.
– Wash your hands often and practice good hygiene.
– Go out only for essential needs such as going to the doctor, getting groceries, or picking up medication.
– Postpone non-essential appointments until you are out of quarantine.
– Minimize contact with others in your home and avoid sharing personal household items.
– Watch for fever and for other symptoms. Contact your doctor if you acquire symptoms.

PUBLIC HEALTH WILL HELP YOU
We know that quarantine or isolation may be confusing. Please know that your local health department will be there to guide you through quarantine and isolation. If you happen to test positive for COVID-19, someone from public health will be in contact with you. We may ask you for the names people with whom you have had close contact to help to minimize spread of illness. We appreciate any information you can give us because it helps us to do our jobs and prevent spread of illness to others. We will also check on you to make sure you are doing well and have what you need.

Thank you to all those who have been in quarantine and isolation and thank you in advance to anyone who may have to be in quarantine or isolation in the future. We can keep the number of cases down in our counties and tribes by working together and we will make it through this challenging time. Stay safe and stay well.

Links to resources have been included as hyperlinks in this document for your convenience. For more updates and information, see the resources below.

Local COVID-19 Resources
Stay up to date with Shawano County case counts:
https://www.co.shawano.wi.us/departments/?department=5c6edb95d748&subdepartment=5da3aabb05e8

Stay up to date with Menominee County case counts:
https://www.co.menominee.wi.us/departments/?department=d5f584c71198